Moisture-tester.



W, R. NICOLL 6L W. l. MCLAUGHLIN.

MOISTURE TESTER.

APPLICATION FILED MMI. 2. w15.

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

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PURATIUN UF MINNESOTA..

MOISTURE-TESTER.

Application filed March 2, 1916.

of the United States, residing at Owatonna,

`in the county ol" Steele and citate el' Minnesota, have invented certain new and uselul improvements in Moistuie-'l`estei 's, el which the following is a specification.

rlllhis invention relates to an evaporating device, and although it may have a general application it is rnirticularly designed and intended for use as a moisture tester ior but ter l'or determining the an'lountor per cent. oit moisture which is contained in a given sample el" butter. '.lheprincipal object ol' the invention is te provide a new and improved construction, combination and ai rangement ol parts for accomplishing the desired result.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation, with part of the shell broken away, or a nioisturetcster constructed in accordance with the principles oil' our invention; Fig. 2 is a top view of the shell, and lllig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3M?) of Fig. l.

Pure lood laws require that `there shall be no more than a certain percentage ozt moisture in butter. lhe present invention otters a simple and veryellicient device for quickly testing and determining the amount oit moisture in any given or weighed sample olf butter which operates so quickly/,and elliciently that a number of samples may be` tested while the butter is heilig worked.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a heater' oit any desired "kind may be employed, it being preferable to use one which produces a hot llame,`such as an alcoholheater. ln Figui the burner comprises a fuel, receptacle l* with a burner `5 eirtending above it. Mounted at the side ol:D the burner is a rotatable cap G with a handle l tor rotating it and an extending hollow arm 8 which carries a wick 9. A cap l0 is also provided for covering and extinguishing the flame from the wick when desired. llhe cap is removed, the wiclr ignited and turned below the burner 5 which becomes suliiciently heated to vaporize the fuel thereby producing a hot llame above the burner 5.

lll plate Ill is supported directly above the Speccatcn of .Letters Patent.

latonted 'lll ee. lll, 191'?.

sei-iai no. aires.

burner 5 by means oil arms 12 which extend outwardly from the plate and are removably secured to the receptacle ll, one oil theni forming a handle 13. rlhis plate 1l is pret erably termed with a recess in its top in which a pad lil of non-metallic and nonburning substance, such iter example, as asbestes, is placed. ill. receptacle l5 open at the top is supported by Jthe plate ll on the pad lll.

lllxtending loosely over the plate ll and the testing receptacle l5 :is a shell 1G which is formed with slots ll' in the lower edge corresponding in position to the arms l@ so that the arms may be seated in the slots supporting the lower edge of the shell below the plate ll and below the upper surface of the burner This is for the purpose ci protecting the burner from drafts and the like and tor saving all the heat and properly directing it to the testing receptacle. The top ottle shell lo is closed, preferably constituting an integral part thereoil2 but a plurality ot perlorations lli are provided about the edge through which heat and moisture may escape at the top of the shell. il. knob 19 is secured to the top oi the shell tor conveniently handling it. |lhis shell is made oitmetal, preferably ot some metal which is a good conductor of heat, such as aluminum, and as it lits the plate 1l loosely a direct passage for heated air will be formed from the bottom oil the shell up the sides thereol* and through the perfor-ations 18. rllhis produces a dral-t about the testing receptacle li which carries away all moisture troni the receptacle as soon as itis evaporated thereilrom in the form ol. vapor.

The operation of the device is very simple; a weighed sample ci butter or other material olf which it is desired to test the moisture is placed in the receptacle and the shell 16 `is placed about the receptacle and over the heater until all the moisture is evaporated therefrom. lhe sample is then weighed and the reduction in weight will indicate the amount of moisture which the sample contained. rlhe heat troni the burner is very e'lliciently applied to the receptacle ben cause ot the shell 1G which evenly distributes `the heat and by the plate ll, the butter lat being prevented trom burning by the ashesn tos pad lll and all moisture being quickly carried olil through the apertures at the top of the shell.

lllhat we claim is:

l. ln a moisture test-er, a heater having a supporting plate and arms projecting therefrom, and a shell with slots at the lower end which lit loosely around the plate and is supported by the arms.

2. In a moisture tester, a support 'for a testing receptacle with arms extending outwardly therefrom, and a shell with recesses at the lower end to register with the arms fitting loosely over the support and supported by the arms with the lower edge below the support.

in a moisture tester, a heater and a support above the heater with laterally7 projecting arms, and a shell having a closed top and an open bottom which lits loosely around the support and is upheld by the said arms.

4. In a moisture tester, a heater, a plate above the heater' with extending arms, and a shell itting loosely around the pla-te and supported by the arms with a perforated top for the escape et moisture.

5. ln a moisture tes'er, the combination with a heater, a plate upon which a testing receptacle is supported, arms extending from the plate to support it above the heater, and a shell adapted to t loosely about the plate having slots at the bottom adapting it to be supported by the arms and to extend below the support for properly protecting the heater, and va perforated top for the shell through which heat and moisture may escape.

6. ln a moisture tester, the combination with a plate for supporting a testing receptacle, a heater comprising a burner disposed below the plate, supporting arms extending trom the plate, and a shell open at one end and having pertorations at the other fitting loosely over the said plate and supported by the arms so that the lower end of the shell entends below the plate and below the top et the burner to protect it.

7. ln a moisture tester, the combination with a heater, a plate with projecting arms disposed above the heater, a moisture testing receptacle supported above the plate, and a shell fitting loosely over the plate and receptacle supported by the arms having a perforated top through which hot air 'from the heater and moisture from the receptacle pass.

Copies of this patent Vmay be obtained for 8. A moisture tester comprising a. heater, a heat retaining shell open at the bottom and having perforations at the top, a. moisture testing receptacle, a heating` plate supported above the heater and litting loosely within the shell, means for loosely support* ing the shell by the lower edge and a nonburning pad atlixed to the plate and `interposed between it and the said receptacle.

9. A. moisture tester comprising a heater with an upright burner, a. plate disposed above the burner, arms extemling trom the plate to space it from the burner, a receptacle supported by ihc plate, a shell lilling loosely over the plate and having slots at the lower edge corresponding` in position to the said supporting arms whereby the shell is supported by the arms with the lower edge thereoll below the top ol' the burner, the said shell having a top with perforations therein, and a knob at the top 'for raising and lowering the shell.

1t). In a. moisture tester, the combination with a heater, of a plate supported above it and a metal shell adapted to lit loosel)v over the plate and extending above and below the plate, the lower portion oll the shell being open and for proterting the heater and the upperI end olf the shell being closed but provided with perforations to allow heat and moisture to escape thereitrom.

ll. In a moisture tester, the cmnbinalion with a support for a testing reptacle, a shell open at the bottom and having` perlforations at the top which lits loosely over the said support, and means tor supporting both the shell and the plate above the heater, the said heater comprising a burner and a generator 'for said burner eon'iprising a, rotatable member with a wick.

l2. .ln a moisture tester, the combination with a heater, a heating plate, a testing receptacle, a non-burning pad disposed on the plate between the plate and the receptacle, and a shell supported by its lower edge titting loosely over the plate and receptacle with perforations in the top ttor the escape of heat and moisture.

ln testimony whereof we have signed our names to this speci'iication, in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses, on this 26th dayof Feb., A. D. 1916.

lVILLli/rllfl R. NICOLL. VVLLl/rlrl fl. Mcln'lrUGlllilN. Witnesses CARL K. BENNETT, F. C. KINYON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent."

Washington, D. C. 

